Operation Hernia is mourning the painful loss of one of our long-time volunteer surgeons, an Operation Hernia Ambassador, Prof Guido Schurmann, 61. He died unexpectedly on 24 October in Bielefeld, Germany. He had been due to go to Ghana on another humanitarian mission, 11 days later on November 4, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Cordula and children.

Prof Schurmann was the Chief Physician and Medical Director at the Clinic for General and Visceral Surgery at the Klinikum Bielefeld Mitte.

An important part of his life was his deep passion about provision of quality medical care for the less privileged. He volunteered for several Operation Hernia missions to Ghana where he provided a superb hernia service to needy patients as well as training local doctors and surgical registrars. He and his wife, Cordula, funded an Operation HerniaGhana Fellowship. This was set up to provide Ghanaian surgical registrars intensive training in Mesh Hernia surgery. The Fellowship was named the “Guido-Cordula Fellowship”. Operation Hernia will continue to run the fellowship in honour of his memory. Prof Schurmann also went on other humanitarian mission organised by other charities.

Guido was a warm, and a very friendly colleague. He had a sympathetic heart for the needy. He will be fondly remembered by Operation Hernia and all the volunteers who had the privilege to work with him. Hernia patients in Ghana and other countries will be tremendously grateful for the treatment they received from Guido. He repaired their very large, disabling hernias, improving their quality of life. Many more patients will benefit from the training received by Ghanaian surgeons who trained with Operation Hernia as Guido-Cordula Fellows.

His funeral was held at Bielefeld on November 2, 2017, an occasion that was attended by Chris Oppong, Chairman of Operation Hernia. It was very fitting that our organisation was represented at Guido’s funeral and all those who new Guido join the trustees of Operation Hernia in sending sincere condolences to his family.

MAY HE REST IN PEACE AND MAY GOD COMFORT HIS WIFE, CORDULA, CHILDREN AND FAMILY